Summit 3/22/05, we're crazy, 3rd peak of the day

After already bagging Georgia and South Carolina's highpoints earlier that day we were determined to get North Carolina's as well. We left Asheville on Blue Ridge Parkway just after dark and encountered signs that said "No thru traffic 8 miles ahead (it's about 35 to the summit road). Unaffected by the signs, we discovered 8 miles down the road another sign that said "Road Closed at Mount Mitchell." We then proceeded to drive through the thickest mountain fog I've ever seen . . .at night. I was driving 15 mph down the middle of the road and it took forever to get to the summit road. We drove up to the parking lot and hiked the trail to the summit with 45 mph winds and mist/fog/rain. We snapped the picture only to get back to the warm car and begin the 2 hour drive back to Asheville. We definitely shouldn't have been out there but we're young and crazy enough to try and we got it done and the warm beds and Taco Bell in Asheville were great.